Web splicing mechanism



Jan. 12, 1965 H. A. STONE ETAL WEB SPLICING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1962 l l I l Jan. 12, 1965 H. A. STONE ETAL was smcmc MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 13, 1962 Jan. 12, 1965 H. A. STONE ETAL. 3,165,276

WEB SPLICING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 13, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ATTORNE Jan. 12, 1965 H. A. STONE ETAL 3,165,276

was SPLICING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 13, 1962 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 //VV TORS w mrw ATTORNE Y U t d S a a n 3,165,276 WEB SPLICING MECHANISM Horace Alexander Stone and Robert Ernest Matheson Gemmell, Depttord, London, England, assignors to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 216,615 Claims priority, applicationGreat Britain, Aug. 23, 1%1, 30,374/61 1 Claim. (Cl. 242-583) This. invention concerns improvements in or relating to web splicing apparatus, and in particular, apparatus for splicing webs of cigarette paper ina continuous rod cigarette-making machine. v

The cigarette-paper web in a cigarette-making machine is normally fed from a bobbin and after passing through a printing device, when such is provided, is led on to a conveyor tape which carries it through folding and gumming apparatus so that the paper is folded and sealed about a tobacco filler, which is carried on it, so as to be formed into a continuous cigarette rod. The machine can be stopped so that the paper web from a new bobbin can be threaded through various guiding and other devices into position, thereby enabling a new rod to be started; or, to save time, the new Web can be joined to the trailing end of the running paper web. In both cases the running Web is usually out before the bobbin is entirely exhausted.

For convenience the expression web splicing is used herein as including any operation of joining a running web to a new web in a machine in which a web is fed continuously, a continuous rod cigarette-making machine being one example of such a machine. The expression running web, when used herein, is to mean a web which is moving through the machine, whether the bobbin or like source is nearly exhausted or whether it still has some time to run, and the expression new web is to mean a web which is to be spliced to the running web.

When a new web is superimposed on a running web and both are severed by a single knife stroke, two web end portions are produced, which are of no further use, these being the running web end portion attached to the exhausted or nearly exhausted bobbin, and the leading end portion severed from the new web. These end portions which are of no further use are referred to herein as Waste ends. The trailing end portion of the running web still being fed through the machine, and the new web end portion attached to the new bobbin (which end portions are to be joined together) are referred to herein as severed ends.

According to the present invention there is provided a web splicing device for use in a machine in which a web of material is continuously fed from a bobbin (e.g. in a continuous rod cigarette-making machine), comprising means to stop the movement of portion of a running web while a reserve formed from the running web continues being fed to the machine, means to superimpose a new web over the portion of the running web that has been stopped, cutting means to sever both webs together, means to apply adhesive to one severed end, means to move one severed end lengthwise by a desired amount while the other severed end is held stationary and clamping means to join the two severed ends so that the new web is joined to the running web by a splice whose width is equal to the said desired amount.

The running web may be moved by being passed between a driven pair of draw rollers, movement of the web between the draw rollers and the bobbin stopping when the draw rollers are no longer driven. Rotation of the draw rollers may be stopped by switching means actuated by the periphery of the running web bobbin. The portion of the running web that is stopped may be held 3,lb5,27b Patented Jan. E2, 1965 suctionally. One severed end may be suctionally held to a movable table which has a limited movement lengthwise of the web equal to the said desired amount.

A Second switching means may be actuated by the periphery of the bobbin of the running web to cause a reserve of the running web to accumulate in a container.

Apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a general arrangement of web splicing apparatus. 7

FIGURE 2 is a section to a larger scale of part of the apparatus.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line IVIV of FIG- URE 2.

In FIGURE 1, a bobbin 1 of cigarette paper used in a cigarette-making machine rotates freely on a carrier spindle 2 which is part of a carriage 3 provided with wheels 4 and 5 running on a rail 6. The top of the carriage 3 is provided with two lugs 7 and 8 which are free to move within a channel 9 and which prevent lateral movement of the carriage 3. The channel 9has-two pairs of openings 10, 11 and i2, 13 the spacing of each pair being equal to that of the lugs 7 and 8 which can thereby be inserted into the channel 9 or be withdrawn from it. When the carriage 3 is in the position shown in FIG- URE 1 it is prevented from moving to the right by means of a retractable stop which is not shown. At the end of the rail 6 a stop 14 in the form or" a bell crank held in position by a leaf spring 15 prevents any further movement to the right of a carriage, shown as 16, until the stop 14 is moved out of position by its handle 17 when alignment of lugs 18 and 19 with the openings 12 and 13 enable the carriage 16 to be removed from its position between the rail 6 and the channel 9. A further retractable stop which again is not shown prevents the carriage 16 from moving to the left when it is abutted against the stop 14. In FIGURE 1 the carriage 16 is shown as supporting a bobbin 26 on its carrier spindle 21.

The running web from bobbin 1 passes under a lead roller 22, over an idler 23 housed in a cutting and joining section 24, over lead rollers 25 and iii, and finally through draw rollers 27 and 28, of which the roll 27 "ice only is driven and is provided with two operational speeds through high and low speed clutches, the mechanism of which is similar to that disclosed in US. Patent 3,123,268, granted March 3, 1964. From the draw rollers 27 and 28 the web is fed intoa container which is not shown and in which it forms a reserve. The quantity of theweb within the container is controlled, as disclosed in US. application, Serial No. 172,472, filed February 12, 1962, now abandoned, between a maximum and minimum and is used, as explained hereunder, to keep the cigarettemaking machine supplied whilstthe web of a new bobbin is spliced to the running Web.

When the bobbin of the running web is in the position shownin FIGURE 1 as 20, a riding arm 29 fixed to an adjusting arm 39 is free to rotate about a pivot pin 31. Also rotatable on the pivot pin 31 is a cam 32 having two cam faces 33 and 34. An adjustable locking screw 35 projects through the body of the cam 32 and is locked in position by means of a lock nut 36. The end of the screw 35 is held against the adjusting arm 30 by a spring 37. Thus the weight or" the cam 32 acting throughthe adjusting arm 3% forces the riding ram 29 to the left so that it rides on the periphery of the bobbin 20. Rollers 38 and 39 of microswitches 4t and 41 are actuated by the cam faces 33 and 34 respectively, the microswitch 40 operating before the microswitch 41, the former to engage the high speed clutch driving the draw roller 27 and the latter to start a geared motor 42.

The geared motor '42 has an output shaft 43 to which is keyed a gear 44 driving an intermediate gear 45 carried on a bracket 46. The intermediate gear 45 drives a further gear 47 which can be seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, keyed to a cam shaft 48.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the cam shaft 48 is seen to be provided with four earns, a carriage cam 49,

a heater cam 50, a knife cam 51, and a paster cam 52..

A carriage 53 (see FIGURES 2 and 4) comprises a suction chamber 54 communicatingby means of a flexible pipe 55 (see FIGURE 1) to a suction manifold 56 and from thence to a suction source which is not shown, and two top plates 57 and58,sboth of, which have holes 59 communicating with the suction chamber 54. The carriage 53 is carried on links 60 and 61 which pivot about shafts 62 and 63 respectively. A bracket 64 is fixed to the carriage 53 and has a cam roller 65 which is held against the carriage cam 49 by a spring 66 oneend of which is fixed to the link 60 and the other to the frame of the cutting and joining section 24.

A heater block 67 pivots about a pin 68 being actuated by an arm 69 one end of which is joined to the heater block 67 at pin 70 while the other end is pinned to a rocker arm 71 having a pivot point 72 and a cam roller '73 held against the heater cam 50 by a spring 74. The spring 74 has one end fixed to an extension 75 of the arm 69 and the other end to the frame of the cutting and joining section 24. A heater unit 76 has a spigot 77 which fits into a hole in the heater block 67 and is locked thereto by a set screw. A suction pipe 78 (FIGURE 1) connects the suction manifold .56 with suction openings 79 and 80 (FIGURE 2) in the bottom of the heater unit '76. A heating element 81 co-operates with an insulating strip 82 inset into the top plate 57, the strip 82 being provided with holes communicating with lifted by the cam 115 and keeps it switched on until the roller 116 returns to its inoperative position.

A clamp 118 is pivoted at 119, the pivot point 119 being to the left of the centre of gravity as seen when viewing FIGURE -1. The clamp 11 8 is'of' the tongs type having'a handle 120 and spring 121 holding the two clamping portions shut.- The end of the new web is lead round a fixed pin 122 and from thence to the clamp.

The draw roller 28 (FIGURE '1) is freely rotatable on a pin 123 carried on one end of an arm 124 pivoted about a pin 125 and held against the driven draw roller 27 by a spring 126. Joined to the end'of the arm 124 opposite the draw roller 28 is a link arm 127,1the opposite end of which is pinned to a bracket 128 pivotable about a pin 129. Fixed to the bracket 128 is a shoe 130 which rides on the paster cam 52 (FIGURE 2.).

The operation of the apparatus will now be described. The running web of paper from the bobbin 20 passes continuously through the apparatus, being held down lightly onto the top plates 57 and 58 by sufficient suction to hold the severed ends after they have been cut by thewafer knife 83. As the suction is light it forms no real impedance to the passage of the running web over the suction plates. r

The normal position for the bobbin of paper supplying the running web is'in the position of the bobbin'l in FIGURE 1. However as disclosed in US. Patent 3,061,-

- 220, granted October 30, 1962, at a predetermined rethe suction chamber 54, to effect the sealing of the two webs.

A Wafer knife 83 (FIGURE 2) having a lip 84 is fixed by means of set screws to a knife holder 85 to which is attached a vertically disposed rod 86. A bracket 131 is fixed to the cutting and joining sect-ion 24 has attached to it two plates 132 and 133 so spaced from each other as to form a slot 88 in which runs a peg 87. The peg 87 is fixed to a block 89 which inits turn isattached to the rod 86 which is slidably mounted in two-lugs 135. A bell crank lever 92 pivoted at 93 has one end pinned at- 94 to a link 134 and is provided at the other end with a cam roller 95 held in'contact by the spring 90 With the cam 51. The other end of the link 134 is free to move about the peg 87 so that movement of the bell crank 92 causes the rod 86 and' thus the knife 83 to move in a vertical direction only. The cutting edge of the knife 83 cuts against a fixed knife 96 formed by one edge of the top plate 57.

Held against the face of the paster cam 52 (FIG- URE 2) by a spring 97 is a cam roller 98 fixed to one end of a bell crank lever 99 which is pivoted at 100 and which is pinned at its other end to a lever 101. A gum dauber arm 102 is pivoted at 103 and is pinned at 104 to the lever 101. The arm-102 is provided with a stub shaft 105 on which a gum dauber 106 is free to rotate.

A spring 107 under tension holds the gum dauber 106 to the gum dauber arm 102 which fits neatly into a slot 108 in the top of a gum bath 109. Attached to the gum dauber 106 is an arm 110 which bears against a peg 111 attached to one end of a swivel piece 112. The swivel piece 112 is pivoted at 113 and has its lower end bearing against a further peg 114 secured to. the carriage 53.

The cam shaft 48 has a further cam 115 (FIGURES 1 and 3) against the face of which a cam roller 116 of power to the heating element 81 when the roller 116 is duction in diameter of the bobbin it is automatically transferred to the position occupied by the bobbin 20 in FIGURE 1. When this transfer has been completed a new bobbin is placed manually in the position of bobbin 1' and the free end. of this new bobbin is threaded over the idler 23, through part of the cutting and joining section 24, under the fixed pin 122 and is anchored in the clamp 118. The new web is now superimposed over part of the run of the running web.

When the diameter of the running web from the bobbin 20 has reached a further predetermined value, the riding arm 29 on the periphery of the bobbin 20 causes the microsWitch 40 to operate the high-speed clutch through which the draw roll 27 is driven as described in US. Patent 3,123,268, thus enabling a .reserve of paper to build up in'the manner disclosed in US. Serial No. 172,472. After a predetermined time interval when a sufliciently large reserve has been builtnp, the diameter of the running Web bobbin will have decreasedto a size which enables the microswitch 41 to start up the geared motor 42 and, to stop the draw roll 27.

As soon as the draw roll 27 stops rotating the running web is held by suction to the suction plates 57 and 58. At the same time the geared motor 42 starts to rotate and a sequence of operations takes place in the cutting and joining section 24 due to the action of the cams 49, 50,

, cam roller 98, thereby moving both the lever 101 and the free end of the gum dauber arm 102 upwards; The gum dauber 106 is thus lifted out of the slot 108 which sinceit is a neat fit around the gum dauber, acts'to. wipe excessgum from the dauber at is moves upwardsout of the gumbath we;

(ii) The draw'roller 28 moves out of Contact with the draw roller 27.- The shoe is lifted by the paster cam 52 and thus .the link arm 127. moves to the left (as seen when looking at FIGURE 1) lifting the roller 28 away from the driven draw roller 27. Since the shoe 130 has. a broad face it does not follow the brief fall of the cam 52 but dwells in a lifted position until stage (xii).

(iii) The carriage 53 moves forward (Le. in the direc tion in which the running web m0ves).-The cam roller 65 under the action of the spring 66 follows the profile of the carriage cam 49 into its dwell, thus moving forward the carriage 52 on its supporting arms 60 and 61,

5 'until it comes to rest in the position indicated in FIGURE 2 by the chain line for the right hand upper corner of the top plate 58. In moving into this forward position the carriage 53 swings the top of the swivel piece 112 to the left by means of the peg 1M acting on itsbottom. The peg 111 thus moves the arm iii against the action of the spring 197 into a vertical position so that the gum dauber 1% is in position for its downward daubing action.

(iv) The knife 83 cuts both webs.The knife cam 51 lifts its cam roller 95 thereby causing the rod 86 to move downwards and thus the knife 83 to move down and across the fixed knife as which is part of the top plate 57 (in the position in which it is shown in chain lines in FIGURE 2) into a recess between the two plates 57 and 58. This action results in the cutting of both running and new webs. The waste ends of the new web moves to the right due to the clamp 11S swinging in a clockwise direction about its pivot 119 and is thus removed from the position where its presence could interfere with subsequent stages.

(v) The heater unit 76 is. iwered.-The heater cam 59 lifts the cam roller '73, thereby rocking the arm 71 about its pivot 72 and causing the unit 76 to swing downwards about its pivot 68. In moving down the suction openings 79 and 89 come into contact with the newweb and hold it suctionaliy.

(vi) The gum dauber 06 lowers and reiurns.The roller 98 follows the cam 52 into a fall thereby lowering the gum dauber 1%, which is in a vertical position as described under (iii) above, into contact with the severed end of the running web suctionally held to the top plate 57. Immediately following the daubing the cam 52 lifts its roller 98 thereby lifting the lever 1M and the dauber 106. To prevent the severed end of the running web being lifted by the gum applied to it on the end of the dauber the lip 84 is fitted to the knife 83 which is still in the lowered position as described under (iv) above.

(vii) The knife 83 is raised-The cam roller 95 follows the profile of the cam 51 thus allowing the action of the spring 90 to raise the rod 86 which causes the knife 83 to move upwards.

(viii) The heater unit 76 swings upward.--The cam roller 73 follows the profile of the cam 50 into a fall thereby allowing the arm 67 to swing upward. The severed end of the new web is raised with it under the action of the suction in the unit 76 which exerts a lifting force through the suction openings 79 and 80.

(ix) The carriage 53 swings back (i.e. in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the running web).The cam 49 lifts the cam roller 65 causing the carriage 53 to swing back on the links 60 and 611 to its original position thereby forming the overlap of the two webs. In so moving, the severed end of the running web which is suctionally held to the top plate 57 moves with it. Since the peglld also moves to the left (as viewed in FIGURE 2) the spring 107 returns the arm 110 to a position from which the gum dauber 106 can enter into the slot 108 of the gum bath 109.

(x) The heater unit 76-swings downwards.-The cam 50 lifts the cam roller 73 and thus the arm 67 swings down 6 carrying with it the severed end of the new web which is superimposed over the severedend of the running web to form a lap joint. As described under (vi) a strip of gum has been applied by the dauber 1% to the severed end of the running web. When the severedend of the new web is superimposed on this strip the two webs are joined. Prior to the downward movement of the arm 67, the cam causes the microswitch 117 to complete the heating circuit in the heating element 81 so that when the unit 76 is in its down position the element 81 dries the gum strip thus completing the splicing of the web.

(xi) T he gum dauber 106 returns into the gum bath I 09.-The roller 98 follows theprofile of the cam 52 into a second fall, thus returning the dauber 1% into the slot 108.

(xii) The draw roller 28 returns to Contact with the roller 27.Under the action of the spring (FIG URE 1) the shoe D follows the fall of the paster cam 52 thus returning the roller 28 into contact with the driven draw roller 27.

(xiii) The heater unit 76 swings upwards and the micrash-itch 117 cars of} current to the heating element 81. The cam 50 and its mechanism return the arm 67 to its upper position. As the suction force exerted by the ports 59 of t e top plates 57 and 53 exceeds that exerted by the ports 79 and 80 of the unit 76 the newly spliced running web is held to the plates 57 and 58 and is not lifted. At the same time the circuits for stopping the motor 42 and starting the drive to the draw roller 27, which are not shown, are both operated from the microswitch 117.

The whole apparatus is now running under normal conditions and is in readiness, as soon as the exhausted bobbin 20 is manually removed, to start another cycle of operations.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a continuous rod cigarette-making machine, web splicing apparatus comprising a reservoir, a running web bobbin holder, mechanism to cause the running web to accumulate in the reservoir, a suction table positioned between the bobbin holder and the reservoir and capable of suctionally holding the running web, means to superimpose a new web over the suctionally held running web, a knife adjacent the suction table to sever both webs together, means to move the suction table and the suction- .ally held severed end relatively to the severed end of the new web so as to form an overlap, means to apply adhesive to one severed end, and means to cause both severed ends to adhere in a spliced joint.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,063,098 12/36 Horton 24256.5 2,838,250 6/58 Stravrakis 24275.2 3,061,220 10/62 Gagg et al 242-584 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL MADER, Examiner. 

